


find me somebody to love

by immarcesibility



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Awkwardness, First Kiss, Happy Ending, Multi, Rude People, blind dates x 5, did i actually write something not angsty???, yes i did
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-29
Updated: 2017-06-29
Packaged: 2018-11-20 17:03:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11339667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/immarcesibility/pseuds/immarcesibility
Summary: Kent Parson has it all. Money, fame, looks, you name it. The only thing missing in his life? A relationship. He has been single for longer than he likes to admit, and he's turned into the crankiest old person because of it. Of course, his friends notice that, so they do the only thing they know will help: Set Kent up on dates. The only problem? Kent is picky as fuck.or: five times kent's friends set him up on dates and one time they didn't need to





	find me somebody to love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mirkandmidnight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mirkandmidnight/gifts).



> Prompt: Five times the Aces tried to set Kent up with someone disastrous, and one time they got it right.
> 
> I just really like the idea of the aces as a team trying so hard to get Kent "The Nicest Guy Alive" Parson a date and he keeps letting them down gently because, well, they're not his type )))) and them just getting progressively more frustrated because they're trying so hard to help.
> 
> So I may have gone a teeny tiny bit off script here... but! I hope you enjoy it and that it lives up to your expectations.
> 
> This thing is officially three times longer than my longest fic before it, so my brain is dead now.
> 
> Title from Somebody to Love by Queen

-1-

"So," Matt Leschinski, Aces goalie, says while hopping up onto the counter. "The benefit ball is coming up soon."

Kent quirks an eyebrow in his direction, "It's August, Matt. The ball isn’t until Halloween. What are you on about?"

He turns away from his teammate to focus back on the stove, where he's been battling to cook a piece of chicken all the way through without burning it. Who even knows how chicken is supposed to look when it's done?

Kent hears a scoff behind him.

"You need to find a date, Parse. It's been way too long since you last got laid."

"That's not true!" Kent exclaims. "It hasn't been that long"

The goalie smirks, now swinging his feet back and forth.

"Oh yeah? Because your mood lately tells me otherwise. You've been the crankiest, whiniest old lady," he chuckles. "Admit it, Parse, you need to blow off some steam, preferably with someone hot."

Kent shakes his head and turns to face his stove once again. A bit of the chicken is burnt. Damnit.

"Why are you so obsessed with my sex life, man?" he asks before he can think twice about it.

Matt chuckles once again and slides off the counter. "Just think about it, alright? I know some people who would love to touch that hot bod of yours."

Kent shoves Matt's back, smirking at the little yelp he lets out.

–

After his little chat with Matt, dating seems to be the only thing Kent can think about.

He can't go a day without imagining how he wouldn't need a blanket to watch Netflix on the couch if he had someone to keep him warm, how that little restaurant a few blocks away would be perfect for a date, how lonely his king sized bed looks with only the right side unmade.

Yeah, he is lonely.

Even though he has his teammates, his friends, and his family living nearby, he can't help but long for something more. _Someone_ more. It’ll bruise his ego and he knows he'll never hear the end of it from his teammates, but he decides to take Matt up on his offer. Going on a few dates wouldn't hurt, after all. Would it?

The team's optional workout the next day confirms it: He will never hear the end of it.

–

"Yo, Kent!" Jeff Troy shouts through a bite of his sandwich.

Kent squints and sleepily runs a hand through his hair, stretching his back out and hearing a few pops in his back.

"When- what are you doing in my kitchen, Swoops?" he slurs, still half asleep.

The man in question waves his hand dismissively as Kent goes over to his fridge, huffing once he realises that Jeff is eating his last slices of bread so he can't make himself a sandwich. Damn.

"I know someone who could be your date for the Halloween ball. Super hot. Super smart. _Super_ hot." To his credit, Swoops waits to swallow before he speaks, this time.

Kent only answers by squinting at him in confusion and scratching his belly. After a few seconds, when Jeff realises he isn't going to get an actual answer, he heaves an exaggerated sigh.

"Seriously, man? C'mon! Matt told me you were looking for a hot date. I know how fucking picky you are, but don't knock her 'till you try her, y'know?"

Again, Kent's only response is to walk with the fruit he took from the fridge to the kitchen counter, where he proceeds to make a smoothie. He's way too sleepy to have this conversation.  Jeff's aggravated groan seems a bit over-dramatic to him, but honestly, when isn't Jeff over-dramatic?

"Her name's Divya," he continues. "She's from Mumbai, mad smart, and have I mentioned super hot? Because, dude-" he pauses for a more dramatic effect, "she's _so_ hot you won't believe it"

"If you think she's so hot why don't you ask her out yourself, man?" Kent finally graces Jeff with a verbal reply, but it clearly isn't the one he was hoping for. Jeff groans (over-dramatically, once again) and buries his face in his hands.

"Because I need you to get some, okay? I think you guys will get along."

They keep quiet for a few minutes afterwards, except for Jeff's annoyed mumbles, each man focusing on his food until Kent speaks again.

"What was her name again?"

Jeff’s smirk is enough of a chirp by itself.

–

She's beautiful.

He's at her doorstep, she has just opened her door, and she's beautiful.

He allows himself to take all of her in while he knows she's doing the same thing with him.

She has milky brown skin and equally coloured hair down to her waist. She's wearing an orange long sleeved dress with intricate golden designs, but what strikes Kent the most are her eyes. They're the deepest shade of brown he has ever seen, framed by long, dark lashes. He can already see himself getting lost in those eyes.

"Hi," he breathes out, his face breaking out into a smile, "I'm Kent."

"I'm Divya," she replies, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. She steps forward and out of her house, closing the door behind her.

Kent moves to the side to let her through. "Let's get going, then."

They get into Kent's car and drive to that restaurant he had seen a few weeks prior, just a few streets away from his apartment.

 _I was right_ , he thinks, _it really is perfect for a first date_.

The wooden tables with dark red booths give the place a seductive atmosphere, but the fairy lights attached to the walls make the scene feel younger, fresher, like it was custom-made for Kent.

Kent and Divya are led to a small table near the back, a spot much more private than the front of the restaurant. Divya makes a face at this, but Kent is too nervous and excited about their date to realise. Matt was right, it's been so long since he's been on a date that he nearly doesn't remember how dates _work_.

They talk, then they order their food, and then they talk some more. When Divya seems uncomfortable with the prices on the menu, Kent is too busy asking her about herself to notice. When it's time to pay the bill, Kent gives the waiter his card without even looking at the price. It's nothing his NHL salary won't cover, after all.

 

They leave the restaurant and Kent drives Divya back to her house. They don't kiss at her doorstep, they don't hug either, they just say goodbye and he watches her disappear behind the front door. It's fine, she's probably a bit conservative about kissing on the first date. He doesn't care, he's just happy he got to spend time with her.

 _The date went so well_ , Kent thinks, _I can't wait to see her again_.

 

-

 

Apparently Divya _can_ wait, though.

The first few days after their date, Kent tries texting her a few times, getting half-hearted, one-word responses a couple hours after he sends his messages. _Maybe she's busy, she's got an actual office job_ , he tries to convince himself. Deep down, he knows she's not.

He gets the confirmation he needs but doesn't want when he calls her the next weekend to ask her out again.

"Look, Kent," she sighs, and Kent already knows he won't like what he's about to hear. "You're nice, and all, but to be honest your job is a problem."

Kent sputters, surprised. "Wha- What do you mean it's a problem? I don't understand, Divya."

"It's ridiculous! Can't you see?" she suddenly snaps. "The fancy sports car, the private table because you're 'too famous' to be with 'regular' people, are you _kidding_ me?"

Kent winces, "I'm not too famous to be around regular people," he mutters.

Divya doesn't seem to hear him. And if she does, she doesn't care. She isn't done.

"And that menu! Kent, did you see the _price_ of the food? I could feed myself for a week with that money!" she's fuming, Kent doesn't even need to see her to realise that. "I was so underdressed for that type of restaurant, I felt like a homeless girl walking through the strip! I was wearing a _kurti_ , for fuck's sake."

He stops in front of his bathroom mirror. He doesn't even know at what point he started pacing around his house.

"I'm sorry," he says, looking at his reflection. All his excitement and giddiness from the past few days is gone, now replaced with a weight on his chest that’s growing heavier with each new word that leaves Divya’s mouth.  "I'm guessing you won't want to go out with me again, then. Right?"

Divya scoffs over the phone. "Obviously, I thought I'd made myself quite clear."

Kent looks at his feet, unable to look at himself any longer. There’s pressure behind his eyelids, but he doesn’t want her to hear him crying. Who knew a single failed date could hurt him this badly? "Okay. Bye, Divya."

He hasn't finished his sentence when the line clicks.

He's still going stag to the benefit ball, then.

 _Fuck_.

 

–

 

Because it's the off-season, he doesn't see neither Jeff nor Matt for another full week. They're both busy visiting their families, going on holidays, or doing whatever two twenty-something-year-olds with million-dollar contracts do with their free time. That's probably why Kent doesn't realise how badly Divya's rejection has really affected him until it's been two weeks since their last phone call.

Matt opens Kent's apartment door like it's his own, walking up to the living room before stopping dead in his tracks.

There's Kent, lying on his sofa face-down. The TV is on yet forgotten some infomercial urging at him to call some number _right now_. There are dirty dishes and half-drunk glasses of now dusty water all over the coffee table and extending on the floor around him. Kit seems to have given up trying to get Kent to move, as she's waiting patiently by the timed feeding machine. It's a miracle the whole room doesn't smell like death, honestly.

"Um... Kent?" Matt tries, slowly walking around to be in front of the sofa.

"Hmph," is all that comes out of Kent's mouth, muffled by the sofa cushion. He doesn't even try to move his face away from it.

Matt crouches down next to him, "Are you okay, bro?"

He gets no response, so he shakes Kent's shoulder. Gently at first, but then getting increasingly rougher when Kent doesn't even flinch.

"Fuck, man. You look fuckin' dead," he comments.

When, predictably, Kent doesn't even acknowledge him, he decides for a different approach.

"Swoops told me he gave you a girl's number. You're following my advice now, huh?" his chuckle is cut short by Kent abruptly lifting his face from its previous position.

"Fuck you, Matt. It's not fucking funny." His voice is cold and sharp, and so is his face before he smashes it down onto the sofa once more.

"Woah, dude, what the fuck? I wasn't trying to start anything," Matt's face twists up with concern, "What happened?"

Kent grunts into the fabric, trying to speak with his face in that position. He only manages to scratch his skin with the rough fabric and his voice comes out muffled, so he gives up and lifts his torso, sitting upright.

"I thought it was going well, Matt. I don't know," he starts. Matt quietly sits besides him, waiting to hear the rest.

"Apparently I made her uncomfortable. Do I show off my money too much? And be honest."

Matt's eyebrows shoot up his forehead. "What are you talking about, man? What does your money have to do with Divya?"

Kent's scowl is all he needs to connect the dots.

"Oh, she doesn't like that you're so rich and posh, huh?" he asks.

"Ding ding ding. We have a fuckin' winner." Kent's voice is dripping with sarcasm, but there's no other emotion on it.

Now that Matt can see his face more clearly, he's not really surprised to see the dark circles under his eyes, the paleness of his skin and the sofa fabric impression on his cheek. Kent looks and sounds like he hasn't slept in a million years.

"You look like this because of one date? Jesus, Parse. You must have really been into her," he comments.

Kent leans his head back against the sofa, closing his eyes and heaving a deep sigh.

"She was amazing, Matt. You have no idea," he says.

They sit in silence for a while, neither of them needing to say anything. Matt knows that Kent just needs him to be there, and that he won’t talk about his feelings if Matt pesters him too much. Kent is grateful for that.

After a few minutes, Kent lifts his head, "I'm so tired, man. I think I'm gonna go sleep it off."

Matt is nodding before he's even finished speaking. "Yeah, man. Go. I'll give Kit some more water for you."

Kent doesn't need to thank him, he just stands up and walks to his bedroom with heavy limbs.

 

-2-

The Halloween benefit ball comes and goes. Kent attends without a date but so do some of his teammates, so it's not as bad as he thought it would be. Though he knows it's stupid, he's still a bit hurt from what happened with Divya. He's okay, though. He doesn't think about her much anymore.

Hockey season is in full swing and the Aces are playing better and better each time. Although he doesn't want to jinx it, Kent can't help but hope they get to playoffs this year. He's focused on playing the best hockey he can play, which is why it's understandable that he forgot about Jeff's birthday coming up. The next thing he knows, it's Thursday. They have a game on Friday and Jeff's having a birthday barbeque on Saturday. He still hasn't bought him anything. Fuck.

He immediately goes online and buys him some of those boring Van Gogh books that he likes to read, choosing one-day delivery and praying to all that exists that they arrive on time. He really can't be bothered to go out on game day to buy presents, it would ruin his routine.

Kent drinks the last bit of water from his glass, closes his laptop and goes to bed. It's sure to be a long day tomorrow.

 

–

 

Kent has always followed the same routine on game days: Get up at 7 am and go for a light run, head to the rink for morning skate with the guys, shower, have lunch, go back home to take a nap, eat dinner, and head to the rink.

Today is no different, except that he finds himself being distracted constantly. He can't really tell why he's staring off into space every few minutes, but when he almost burns his chicken (fuck chicken, honestly) he knows something's off.

That feeling becomes more and more prominent as the day goes on, and once he's at the rink he feels a bit lightheaded. He doesn't tell anyone; neither his teammates nor the team trainer. He's the captain, he wants to make it all the way to the Stanley Cup finals, and his team needs him to be on the ice. He can't allow himself to be this distracted.

_Get it together, Parse. You're better than this. Concentrate._

Those words play over and over again in his brain like a broken record, only managing to do the opposite of what their intention is. When he hits the ice, it's with more anxiety than usual.

It shows.

It shows on his lost face-offs, on his missed shots, on his failed passes. Kent is distracted, he's lightheaded, his face feels too hot, he knows it's not from exertion, and he's playing bad hockey.

"Parson!" his coach calls, and Kent already knows he's being pulled from this game. They can't afford to lose a game because of him. Kent doesn't want the team to lose because of him.

He sits out the rest of the game, and the way they play instantly changes. It's evident that the problem was Kent, as shitty as it feels to admit it to himself. They start working with better offense, the puck staying on the correct side of the ice now.

The opposing team notices the change, the goals the Aces are scoring and the ones they're defending, so they begin to get antsy. They're playing rough; dirty checks happening everywhere Kent looks. Because of that, they're also getting penalty after penalty, giving the Aces numerous power plays.

Needless to say, the Aces win that game.

 

–

 

Saturday morning comes and Kent wants the sun to explode.

His head is pounding with pain, he can feel his pulse on his nose, and his limbs feels as if they had weights attached to them.

Yeah, he's sick.

He can't believe he neglected taking care of himself for this long, he usually never, ever gets sick. Much less during the season, when his team needs him to be the healthiest.

He slowly manages to stretch one of his arms out and reach for his phone, accidentally blinding himself with the screen's bright light. Even before unlocking it, he can see it's 10am, which means he has slept in, and that he has five unread messages from Matt, reminding him to buy drinks for the barbeque.

Fuck, the barbeque.

He's just about to answer when his phone starts ringing, making his head hurt like hell.

"Hi Matt, I'm sick. I don't think I'm going to the barbeque, say hi to Swoops for me, bye Matt," Kent rushes off. He's about to hang up when he hears Matt at the other end of the line screaming at him to hold on.

"What, Leschinski?"

"Can't you try to make it?" he asks. “You're one of Jeff's best friends, you should be with him."

Kent groans, laying the back of his hand on his forehead. It feels cold against his boiling face, relieving him slightly.

"Fine," he starts, "I'll try my best."

Matt whoops, making Kent's head pound. He winces.

"No promises though, man. I feel like absolute shit," Kent adds. Apparently, Matt doesn't give a shit.

"Yeah, yeah, you'll be here. We'll take care of you if you don't make us sick. See you in a bit! Don't forget the drinks!"

He hangs up before Kent can say his goodbyes.

"Fucker," he sighs, though he stands up to get ready anyway.

 

–

 

Kent hears footsteps approaching before he can ring the doorbell at Swoop's house. These people have a knack for interrupting him, apparently.

"Parse! My man!" the door swings open to reveal the birthday boy in all his glory, wearing khaki trousers and a ridiculous tropical-patterned shirt.

"Happy birthday, bro," Kent says and gives Jeff his gift, still eyeing that shirt. It really is a horrible shirt.

Swoops steps backwards to let Kent in while looking inside the bag and tearing into the wrapping paper. If his face is anything to go by, he loves his present. Kent smirks and walks to the living room, where all the guests are sitting.

Whoops and calls of his name bubble up from the small crowd, and Kent, once again, can only smile and nod in their direction. However, their loud voices make his head pound. He's not sure how he's going to survive the whole day. He sits down on the only empty spot, leaning his head back and closing his eyes for a moment. Even though he overslept that morning, he's still exhausted; his body fighting what he's sure are the early stages of the flu.

He half-heartedly joins a few conversations, but most people can tell his mind isn't really in them. When it's time to get up to get his food, he realises his body feels too weighed down for him to move.

Jeff and Matt seem to think something different is going on. Kent can see them making suggestive faces at him, while not-so-subtly gesturing towards one of the WAGs' friends, who is sitting alone in another sofa. He tries to tell them through his eyes not to interfere, that he's sick as fuck, but neither of them appear to have understood him.

They stand up and approach the woman, who instantly flashes them a bright smile. Kent can't hear their conversation from where he's sitting -much less when his brain is focused on his pounding headache-, but he can tell from their body language that they're asking her to talk to him.

Fuck.

Sure enough, the conversation ends and the woman stands up and faces him. Kent's vision is so foggy that he can't even tell what she looks like.

She sits down next to him and introduces herself, "Hi! I'm Sofía."

Kent tries to smile at her, though he knows he doesn't exactly succeed. He says his name and moves his hand to shake hers. However, it feels too heavy for him. It barely lifts a few inches above his lap before flopping down again.

He chuckles and tries to smile again, "Sorry, it looks like my body does what it wants today."

Sofía's smile is painfully awkward.

"So, Sofía, how are you today?"

"Um- I'm good, I guess," she says, her eyes nervously skipping across the room.

When Kent follows her stare, he can tell she's glaring at a group of women chatting in the corner. Huh. It looks like they're both in the same position here.

"That's great," he responds. He knows he should feel incredibly awkward, Sofía sure looks like she does, but he is too tired to care, honestly. He turns his head again to look straight ahead for what seems like a few seconds, but with his feverish brain distorting his sense of time, probably was a couple of minutes.

Sofía is now anxiously bouncing her leg, doing everything in her power not to look directly at Kent even though it's obvious that it's exactly what she wants to do. He tilts his head slightly in her direction, and she takes this as a cue to speak.

"I'm sorry, but could I ask for a selfie? My other friends won't believe I met you otherwise."

Kent was expecting to be rejected before he even made a move on her, or maybe a simple excuse to leave, so her request takes him a bit off guard.

"Uh- sure, sure," he replies, moving his arm to allow her to move closer to him. He manages to shape his face into his signature smirk once she lifts her phone, though it takes a lot of effort to make his tired muscles move and it dissolves as soon as she puts her phone down again.

With a chipper "Thanks! Bye!" Sofía jumps up from the couch and walks towards the group of women she was eyeing before.

He slowly shakes his head in disbelief; of all places, Jeff's house is where he less expected something like this to happen. Speaking of Swoops, he and Matt appear on either side of Kent, congratulating him, shaking his shoulder and ruffling his hair.

"Guys, guys," he interrupts them. "I didn't get her number, she just wanted a selfie to show to her friends."

Both men's facial expressions mirror what Kent's feeling: Confused, surprised, and pretty angry.

"Woah, man, I had no idea she was like that," Jeff says.

"Yeah!" Matt continues. "If we had known she only wanted to brag to her friends we wouldn't have asked her to talk to you."

Kent just shrugs, before closing his eyes and running a hand down his face. If the body heat his skin is anything to go by, his fever is getting worse.

"I think I should go home," he tells Matt and Jeff.

They seem shocked at that, and Matt is the first to talk, "You don't need to go home just because of that, bro! You can just chill here with us."

Swoops, on Kent's other side, nods enthusiastically.

Kent chuckles softly, and even that makes pain bubble up inside his skull. "Nah, I'm just very sick." He begins to get up with a lot of effort. "I need to go home and rest so I can get better before game day."

Both men agree with him, and they let him go home after they make him promise to call them the next day. When he gets home, he barely manages to drink a glass of water before falling onto his bed and falling asleep right away, succumbing to his exhaustion.

 

 

-3-

 

Kent usually spends Christmas with his family back home in Buffalo. He flies a few days early to avoid the worst rush days and catches up with his mom and his sister Indigo, who he doesn't get to see more than a few times a year.

This year, the holiday season is approaching and Kent knows it's going to be different than it always is. Probably lonelier, as well.

Indigo has always been Kent's favourite member of his family. Though his relationship with his little sister was rocky while they were kids, once they grew up they became practically best friends. They usually talk on the phone at least once a week, and she's the person Kent looks forward to seeing the most.

Now, Indigo is twenty years old and she got herself a boyfriend from college, so she's spending the holidays with him and his family. It will be their first holiday season spent in different states, and Kent's not too sure how he feels about that. One part of him is happy for her, but another part of him is bubbling with jealousy. How come his little sister is already in a stable, mature relationship at twenty, and he's still single at twenty six?

In addition to that, his mother is a nurse. She usually got a few days off for Christmas and New Years, though this year she volunteered to work the night shift during Christmas Eve, sparing her younger coworkers who have partners and small children to go home to.

This means that, for the first time in his life, he's going to be all alone for holiday season. He thinks he should mind more than he does, really, but the long years being far away from his family have made him get used to being alone. Lucas is not okay with that, though.

Lucas Rodríguez is a guy who joined the team two years after Kent, and he's originally from Mexico, where, apparently, family is always a priority.

"You don't understand," he told Kent one day. “Family is the most important thing in your life. It doesn't matter if it's your real family or the one you chose, but you gotta appreciate them, man."

With that in mind, his reaction to finding out Kent's spending his holidays alone is understandable. His eyebrows shoot up, his eyes go wide and he gasps, as if Kent told him he was Jesus himself.

"No, Kent, no." He's shaking his head decidedly. "I'll find you a nice person to go on a date with. D'you prefer girl or boy?"

Kent, though surprised by Lucas's idea, is glad that he didn't assume. Nobody on his team officially knows he's bi, even though he's talked about being with men before. He doesn't know why he offered to find him a date, though. He knows he's fine on his own.

"I don't really have a preference," he replies on instinct, but he doesn't really know why. "Thank you, man, it really means a lot."

"Don't thank me yet, Parse! Thank me when you see him." He stands up and pats Kent on the shoulder as he's leaving.

Who knows? Maybe this date will go well and he'll get Jeff and Matt off his ass about finding someone.

 

–

 

The date has barely started and Kent isn't sure how to feel.

The guy, Manuel, is attractive, there's no denying that. He has well-groomed short chocolate hair and a nice beard, light brown eyes and he's so, so tall that Kent feels tiny next to him.

His looks don't help him much, though. Manuel shows up half an hour late to the restaurant he had picked himself, claiming he couldn't find the place. Kent gets a bad taste in his mouth for that, but he chooses to let it slide.

Now they're being led to a table near the back by a waiter who doesn't seem to be a day over eighteen. Manuel sits down and, as soon as the waiter turns his back to leave, starts snapping his fingers to get his attention.

"Excuse me, I'd like the menus now," he loudly calls, and Kent can't help but wince.

"I think he was going to get them, I'm sure he'll bring them over in just a second," he tries to reason with the man, but to no avail.

"It's his job to be ready. He needs to be faster, you know?" He laughs as if he's just told an amazing joke, and he looks at Kent as if daring him to disagree. Kent, trying to avoid conflict, forces a chuckle and accepts his menu from the flustered waiter.

Kent doesn't know why Manuel made such a big deal of the menu, because he never even opens it.

"I'll have the most expensive dish on here, with the best wine you have. Make that a bottle, not a glass," he confidently says, looking like he has done this many times before. Then, he turns to look at Kent, who already has a bad feeling about the night in front of him, "You're paying, I suppose."

Kent's jaw nearly drops, though he manages to conceal it with a tight lipped smile. The nerve this guy has to act that way is insane.

"Um- Yeah, I guess I'm paying." Money isn't a problem for Kent, obviously, but he can't believe this guy is so willing to spend somebody else's money before even getting to know them.

Kent orders a pasta dish with an overly complicated Italian name, and forces a laugh when Manuel mocks him for choosing it.

"How do you plan on keeping your hockey body working if you only eat carbs?" Manuel pauses to let out a bark of laughter. "You'll be fat in no time, boy. You gotta change that."

Okay, saying that the date isn't going well is a definite understatement. It's a disaster. Kent doesn't know how much longer he can stand this guy's attitude without internally combusting.

He excuses himself to the toilet and moves hastily, trying not to let his annoyance show. He faces the bathroom mirror and just stares at his reflection, trying to convince himself to give Manuel another chance.

 _Maybe you're being oversensitive, he's probably not that bad_ , he thinks.

Kent wets his hands and presses them to his forehead and cheeks, doing his best to regain his composure. All his PR training has to be useful in some way, he's used to dealing with complicated people.

With a renewed confidence and a smile on his face, he makes his way back to his and Manuel's table, where their food is already there waiting for him. Manuel seems busy with his cell phone, though he doesn't miss a beat once Kent sits down and he asks "So tell me a bit about yourself."

Kent's smile widens. Maybe he was right, maybe their date will go better from now on. He's so excited about this change, animatedly telling him childhood stories in between bites of incredible pasta that, at first, he doesn't realise that Manuel doesn't look up at him while he's speaking, his eyes stay focused on his phone that is lying on the table. He stops his story mid-sentence, to see if Manuel realises, but he doesn't seem to have been listening to him at all.

He clears his throat before asking "So, Manuel, how do you know L-"

His question is interrupted by loud laughter, coming from the man sitting across from him. Kent huffs, growing more and more annoyed by the second. Yeah, he was right at the beginning. He's infuriating. Manuel looks up at that.

Finally, Kent thinks, maybe he'll start actually participating now.

He's proven wrong, however, when Manuel begins to stand up.

"Look, Kent, it was nice to meet you, but I made plans with a friend for tonight." His attempt at looking sorry is rather lackluster.

"You weren't hoping for this date to go well, then?" Kent asks, not even trying to mask his annoyance.

Manuel actually manages to look apologetic this time, whispering "Sorry!" while grabbing his coat and leaving the restaurant.

Kent doesn't even try to hold him back, he leans back on his chair and takes a sip of the horribly expensive wine Manuel ordered. It doesn't even taste that good.

He starts to question if it's him who is the problem. Maybe he just attracts bad dates, people who are either too interested on his fame, people who hate his fame, and people who just don't care about him at all.

He asks the waiter for the bill, apologizes to him on Manuel's behalf and drives home. He hates the amount of effort he put into his appearance when he left his house a few hours prior. It wasn't worth it at all, he doesn't think Manuel noticed the way he looked at all.

He turns his car radio on, but all stations are playing those dumb Christmas songs that Kent would love, if he wasn't in such a sour mood. They only help in reminding him that he just spent Christmas Eve with a complete scumbag, and he wasted a nice night alone for it.

He goes through the motions of parking, going up to his apartment and unlocking the door without even thinking about it, as his brain is full of other thoughts.

At first he's just annoyed. He's not sure if that sentiment is directed at himself, at Manuel, at Lucas, or at the world in general. He hates the feeling of what should be a special night wasted because of somebody else's bad attitude. It's not his fault, is it? He was kind, he stayed composed and civil, up until Manuel got up and stood him up mid-date.

That's when his feelings turn from annoyed to angry. He's more than angry, actually. He's furious.

He's a nice fucking person. He's a good person who deserves another good person to love him. Is that so much to ask? He's not asking for someone perfect, just someone fucking decent.

Kent looks down and realizes that he's holding a glass so tightly that its ridges are leaving indents on his skin. He forces himself to take a deep breath, trying his best to relax. His fingers loosen around the glass, and he puts it down on the kitchen counter. He closes his eyes and rolls his shoulders, hoping to relieve some of the stress that this horrible night has given him.

He's tired of his love life going so badly, and he doesn't know if he can handle many more dates like this one. He can already tell that it's taken a toll on his mood.

He opens his eyes and takes a minute to get used to his kitchen's bright light, lightly drumming his fingers on the marble counter.

He will go to bed, sleep this off, and tomorrow he will feel much calmer. At least he hopes so.

 

–

 

A few weeks later, when he's in the locker room after practise, Lucas approaches him. He knows what he's going to ask Kent, and God, he's dreading having to have that conversation.

"So..." Lucas says, suggestively wiggling his eyebrows.

Kent sighs, "It didn't go too well, man."

"What?" Lucas asks, confused, "Manuel told me he had fun! He thought you were really hot, you know?" The suggestive tone is back in his voice.

Kent shakes his head, busying himself by putting his gear away. "Nah, man. The date sucked. How do you know Manuel, anyway?"

"He's my cousin's friend!" he says, "Why do you say the date sucked?"

He looks genuinely sad, if not a little bit disappointed. Kent proceeds to tell Lucas the events of the night, trying his best not to get annoyed or angry again. He knows Lucas meant well when he paired them together, so he doesn't want to make him feel bad.

"Shit, Parse," Lucas says, looking at the floor, frustrated. He's now sitting next to Kent's locker. "I had no idea he was such an ass."

Kent just shrugs. "Yeah, me neither."

Lucas breathes in, as if he's going to add something, but no words leave his mouth. Kent eyes him curiously, though the other man does not speak for a few minutes.

It's only when Kent has packed all his belongings and is standing up to leave that Lucas speaks up once again.

"I'm sorry."

That stops Kent dead in his tracks. He slowly turns around to look at his teammate, hiking his duffel bag higher on his shoulder.

"Sorry for what?" he asks. Lucas goes to answer, but Kent speaks again. "It's not your fault Manuel had no manners, man. That's on him."

Lucas stops for a minute, taking Kent's words in, before sighing. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Kent stays for a few more minutes to make sure everything's okay with Lucas, then he says goodbye and goes home, exhausted once again.

Exhaustion is what he's been feeling the most lately, and he's not too sure why that is, or if he's okay with that. He doesn't know if he's already burning out in hockey _(That can't happen to me, can it? I'm twenty six, for God's sake. I hope it's not happening)_ or if the whole dating thing is not for him. Even though it pains him, he hopes it's the latter.

He'd much prefer having hockey and being lonely than being in a relationship but having to retire early, before he can truly experience everything the sport has to offer.

He won't lose hockey. He can't lose it.

 

 

-4-

 

It's February.

It's February, hockey season is getting more intense as playoffs come near, and all his teammates talk about is fucking Valentine's Day.

The worst part is that Kent can't tell them to focus on the game without getting chirped to Hell and back about being single and grumpy because of it. He knows they're joking, yet he can't help but feel a little bit hurt by their comments.

He's not grumpy because he's single, is he? He's acting the same way as any other season thus far. Plus, hockey is important. He shouldn’t get distracted by a stupid consumerism-based holiday, anyway, and neither should his team. Fuck them if they think otherwise, hockey is more important than a date night.

The games have been getting rougher, too.

Not only technically, though the teams they're playing against are very, very good. The Aces are better, so winning hasn't been a problem for them. Physically, though, the other teams are much more aggressive. Kent's a small dude, okay? Yeah, it makes him faster than most players, but it also means that their checks cause more damage, both to his body and to their plays.

His torso is covered in bruises, he has another bruise on his temple from a high-stick -it had avoided his eye by a mere inch-, and he's pretty sure his shoulder isn't doing what it should be.

In other words; his mind is fucked, his body is fucked, and he doesn't know if he has what it takes to get to the playoffs this season, let alone the finals.

It surprises him that his teammates haven't thought of all that as a reason for his mood. They have all known him for a long time, after all, they know how frustrated he gets when his performance isn't the best it could be.

However, Kent knows that he has been more quiet during practices lately, mainly because he's too busy thinking up different plays and drills for his team to work on. Still, he doesn't want the team to think he's angry at them for their performance on the ice, so he decides to do something nice for everyone.

One day after practise in-between games, Kent announces that he's taking everyone out for lunch the next day, telling the guys to extend the invitation over to their partners. Judging by their cheering, they're definitely happy about getting free food. They start to file out of the locker room, patting Kent's shoulder or slapping his ass as they pass by him. Once he's the only one left in the room, he sighs, letting a small smile take over his face. It'll be a good day tomorrow.

 

–

 

Lunch is going great.

Kent had luckily remembered to call the restaurant the night before to make sure they could accommodate twenty men and a lot of girlfriends, wives, almost-girlfriends and the like. They were occupying a huge table that took up most of the restaurant's space, and they were loud. Hockey players aren't usually known for being quiet and proper, though, so Kent doesn't feel too bad.

He's in the middle of a heated argument about which fruit combination is best for a smoothie, when Swoops stands up from his seat and clinks his spoon against his glass, trying to get everyone's attention. It takes a few tries and a couple of insults, as expected, but eventually everyone manages to stay quiet for a bit.

“First of all,” he starts, “let's thank our beautiful fucking captain, Parse Parson himself, for giving all of us free food today.”

That statement is met with laughter, cheers and a couple of chirps thrown at Jeff and Kent both. Once they're all settled down again, Jeff continues.

“Also, my girlfriend Aymee couldn't come today, but she wanted me to invite you to a post-Valentine's night at our place,” then he looks straight at Kent, “and bring your date!”

That motherfucker, he thinks to himself.

He laughs along with his teammates, rolling his eyes at Swoops. He knows he'll never give up, he would be surprised if he didn't have a date picked out for Kent already.

Lunch ends and Kent pays the bill, making an effort not to look at the amount he's paying. He knows it's ridiculously high even for his NHL salary. Everyone heads out in different directions, but Kent and Swoops stay back, chatting and chirping each other.

Jeff puts an arm around Kent's shoulder, squeezing him affectionately before saying, “About that thing at my place-”

“You're setting me up with someone, aren't you?” Kent interrupts him, a knowing smirk slowly stretching his lips

“Oh, you know me so well,” Jeff answers, a fake wistful look on his face.

“So I don't actually know who she is-” Jeff is interrupted once again by Kent's groan. “Shut up, fucker. She works with Aymee. She'll be great.”

Kent rolls his eyes, the smirk reappearing on his face. “Alright, alright. I believe you, man. I'll be there.”

With that, they leave the restaurant, though Kent doesn't know how he should feel about the situation.

 

–

 

Kent knocks on Jeff's door and anxiously readjusts his collar, as he'd been doing for the past half hour. To say he's nervous would be an understatement. He doesn't know why, but he has a good feeling about this night. Who knows? Maybe this time it'll work, maybe this girl will be right for him.

When the door opens, it's Aymee who's behind it. She smiles at him and opens the door wider, inviting him in. He makes his way to the living room, and he can't help but feel a sense of deja vu from the last time he was there, sick and sort of miserable.

Hopefully this time will be better.

He goes around the room greeting everyone, being swept into conversations left and right. He's only thinking about how comfortable he is; he can tell his mood is much better than it has been for the past few weeks. He's talking to Matt and Aymee walks up to both of them, a beautiful woman in tow.

"Kent, Matt, this is Joslin," she introduces.

"Hi," Joslin shakes Kent's hand first and then Matt's, lingering a bit too long before letting her hand fall at her side.

Kent can't help but to be amazed by the grace with which she moves. Even just by standing there she looks like a ballerina getting ready to dance, her long neck supporting her delicate facial features and her elegant hands arranging her curls.

Aymee excuses herself and leaves the three alone. Matt starts a conversation about some show he's watching on Netflix, though Kent isn't paying much attention to it. He's more focused on Joslin, trying to look at her without coming off as creepy. Her eyes reflect the artificial lights from the room as if they were irradiating it, their shine only competing with the brightness in her smile.

Too bad they don't shine their light on Kent, not even one time during the entire conversation. She's focused on Matt, laughing at all the right moments and looking at him as if he was God himself.

He's kind of jealous, really.

He doesn't want to stay around and witness his friend flirting with her, so he makes up some stupid excuse and steps away, going to the back yard for some fresh air. He stands there, looking sort of like a loser, with his hands in his pockets and staring off into the night. He's not sure how long he stands there, he just knows that his hands are starting to sting from the cold by the time Aymee steps outside to let him know they're about to have dinner.

He ends up sitting next to Matt, who's sitting in front of Joslin. He eats in silence, only half listening to the conversations all around him. He's not thinking about anything in particular this time, he's just letting the familiar voices wash comfortingly over him.

His excitement goes up before dessert, he's tried Aymee's chocolate mousse before and he wouldn't miss it for the world. A line is forming in the buffet-style dessert table when he gets to it, so he impatiently waits while he chats with the teammate in front of him. He gets his bowl of mousse and goes back to his spot at the table, only to find Matt and Joslin absent.

 _Huh_ , he thinks, _looks like Matt has more luck than me in the dating department._

He's lifting his first spoonful of mousse to his mouth when it hits him. Wasn't Jeff going to set him up tonight? It looks to Kent like he forgot, which isn't usual of him. He guesses he should go ask Jeff about that, though he's too happy eating his dessert to do it right then.

After he's finished scraping the bowl, (it's really good mousse) he decides to go look for Jeff.

It takes him a while to find him among all the people at the house, but he manages to spot him in the backyard where Kent had been only a little while before. He's calmly talking to Aymee, a strong hand around her waist and a soft smile on his face. They look enchanted by each other's presence, as if they were the only people left in the world. Kent feels kind of bad for interrupting them and he's rethinking what he was going to do, but that's when Jeff glances back and spots him. He waves Kent over, not looking upset for being interrupted.

“Parse! You having fun?” he asks him as soon as he's next to the couple.

“Yeah!” Kent replies excitedly. “The food's great.”

Aymee smiles fondly, “Thanks, Kent.”

“So, Jeff,” Kent turns to look at him, suddenly feeling a little awkward. “Didn't you say you had a date for me tonight?”

They both stare at him for a moment, confusion clouding their features.

“I introduced her to you a while before dinner, don't you remember?” Aymee says.

Now it's Kent's time to be confused. He's pretty sure that nobody introduced him to any potential dates that evening, unless...

“Wait,” his eyes are wide and skipping from Jeff to Aymee rapidly. “You mean Joslin was supposed to be _my_ date?!”

“Yes! I thought she was your type, Parse!”

“Jeff, my man, she might be my type, but her type is Matt,” Kent chuckles in disbelief. He could have dated that gorgeous woman, but she's into Matt. Who would've thought?

Jeff and Aymee look confused again.

“What do you mean her type is Matt?” Aymee asks, subconsciously stepping closer to Jeff.

Kent chuckles once more, running his hands through his hair and probably messing it up.

“She only had eyes for him all night. It didn't even cross my mind that she was supposed to be my date!”

Jeff and Aymee look like they don't know if they should laugh along or try to comfort Kent, he knows he can be particularly difficult to read. Jeff opts for just laughing, which soon ends up in loud guffaws escaping his mouth as tears form in his eyes. Aymee joins in, throwing her head back and leaning on her boyfriend for support. Kent is the last one to join, small giggles turning into uncontrollable laughter in a matter of seconds.

It takes a few minutes and many weird stares from their guests, but they eventually manage to calm down, though Kent's cheeks are still bright red and little bursts of laughter are leaving his lips every few seconds.

“Fuck, man,” he says, “Matt is such a lucky bastard.”

“I agree, Parse,” Jeff says, before widening his eyes and looking at Aymee who's raising an eyebrow at him. “Um- I meant-”

Aymee's face breaks out into a grin. “You looked so scared for a second!” she laughs.

Jeff rubs a hand on the back of his neck, looking down and murmuring something unintelligible while Kent and Aymee laugh at him.

Kent may have missed the chance of dating a pretty girl, but with friends like these, he realises that he really doesn't mind. It's not so bad being on his own, after all.

 

 

-5-

 

“Hey hey hey, Parse!”

Kent groans as Matt's voice deafens his sleepy brain. He takes his phone away from his ear to check the time only to be blinded by its light before reading that it's 5 am.

“Matt, it's way too early for this shit,” he muffles into his pillow. He doesn't know if Matt hears him, but if he does he clearly doesn't care.

“Wake up, Parser!” Matt is screaming again. “I'm going to the park with Joslin and you're coming with me.”

Kent makes a face.

“Why do I have to go with you on a date with your girlfriend? Am I your fucking chaperone or something?” he ends his question with a yawn before starting another one. “And why do I need to wake up at 5 to go to the park?”

“That's irrelevant!” Even through the phone, Kent can imagine Matt's shit-eating grin. “Get up and be ready by six. And shower! Don't be a slob. Bye!”

He has hung up before Kent can give him a piece of his mind.

Kent buries his face deeper into the pillow and feels his groan reverberating inside the fiber. If he's being honest, he's not really looking forward to spending an entire day third-wheeling his best friend and what could have been his girlfriend. He knows he's going to have to endure an insane amount of pet names and PDA. Ugh.

With another groan, he stretches his arms to get his face and body off the bed. He shakes his head to try and disperse the fog covering his brain, then he gets up and heads into his shower.

He takes his time washing his body. If they're forcing him to go with them to a park that early, they might as well wait for him. He carefully studies his huge collection of differently scented body washes before settling on one with coconut and honey smell. By the time he steps out of the shower, he feels and smells fantastic.

 

–

 

Kent opens his apartment door after the third time the doorbell rings, putting on his sunglasses and letting out a casual “hey.” Neither Matt nor Joslin seem too impressed by him, but he shrugs past them and gets into Matt's awaiting car.

“Are you guys coming or did I shower for nothing?” he throws over his shoulder when he can't hear them walking behind him. He can practically feel Matt's eye roll burning through his back. It's pretty hilarious.

The trio gets in the car in their usual positions: Matt is driving, Joslin is riding shotgun and Kent is sitting in the middle of the back seat, leaning back and with his arms and legs spread out as much as possible, his right foot propped up behind Joslin's seat. Matt peels out of the parking lot and into the street. Kent thinks he can hear him muttering about being late under his breath, but he's too relaxed to care.

Yeah, he's a bit of an asshole. Sue him.

Given the speed with which Matt is driving, it's no wonder they arrive at the park just under ten minutes after they had left Kent's apartment. Kent wouldn't be surprised if Matt received a few speeding tickets one of these days.

They all get out of the car and begin walking into the park, Matt and Joslin holding hands and Kent walking alongside them in true third-wheel fashion.

Kent decides to pay attention to his surroundings for a change. It's still too early for families and kids to be wandering about inside the park, though he can make out a few dog walkers in the distance. The air is slightly warm, the kind of warm that warns of a hot day ahead. His skin is lulled by the soft breeze that caresses his body every once in a while, keeping him from getting overheated. He can hear different bird songs somewhere above him, though when he looks up he can't differentiate which bird is producing which sound.

The place is the definition of peaceful.

Until, of course, Matt decides to interrupt that peace.

“So, Kent. There's another reason why I invited you here today,” he's not looking at Kent. Instead he's facing forward while he keeps walking.

Kent scoffs, “More like forcibly grabbed me out of bed, doncha think?”

“Ha ha,” Matt mocks. “You got out of bed yourself, Parse, don't be a wuss.”

Kent just rolls his eyes and kicks a stray rock that's in his way.

“Anyway, we're gathered here today because I got you a date.”

Kent's head snaps to face Matt so fast that he almost trips. “Bro. Are you kidding me? Another one?”

Matt stops and faces Kent completely, making Kent and Joslin stop walking as well.

“Yeah, Parse, another one. I'm determined and I'm going to find you someone to date.” He lifts one eyebrow in defiance, though he doesn't let Kent get a word in before he resumes his walk. Joslin, who is silently walking next to him, looks to be enjoying the free entertainment.

Kent mutters a few choice curse words under his breath, but he doesn't say anything to Matt. Fifth time's the charm, isn't it?

 

–

 

When they reach what Kent guesses is the middle of the park, there's nobody else but them and an Asian man who looks rather lost. Kent's about to ask Matt who they're waiting for when the man sees them and starts enthusiastically waving at Matt.

“Hey!” Matt exclaims, taking a few long strides to reach the man and engulfing him in a hug.

Joslin seems undisturbed as she follows behind her boyfriend, and Kent suspiciously follows after her. Matt and him seem to be good friends, surely Kent would have heard about this guy, right?

Matt disentangles himself from said guy,who looks very, very nervous, and turns to face Kent.

“Parse, this is Akio. Akio, this is Kent. We're leaving now.” And with that, Joslin drags Matt back in the direction they all came from, Matt's giggles resonating in the nigh on empty park.

Kent feels a blush begin to cover his face, so he rubs the back of his neck and looks down in an attempt to make it less noticeable. How did Matt even know he's bi? He's sure he hasn't told him before. He might have been a bit obvious, but he thought straight guys didn't have good gaydars.

“Um- Hi. I'm Kent, nice to meet you,” he extended his right hand for Akio to shake as he let his left one drop from behind his neck.

Akio's hand shot out from his side to shake Kent's, skin too clammy for it to be pleasant for either of them. Still, Akio didn't seem to mind, because he let his hand linger on Kent's for way too long.

Kent decided to ignore that, instead focusing on Akio's face. Akio's features are sharp, angles forming wherever you look. His up-slanted eyes seem parallel to his jawline, making him look like he's staring you down at all times.

Fuck, he's hot.

Just then, Akio seems to remember that he's still shaking Kent's hand. He drops it as if it were on fire, an apologetic smile lighting up his face afterwards. Kent gives him a small smile in return, putting both his hands in his back pockets.

“So, um- Akio, are you from here? I don't think I've seen you around before,” he asks, nervously shifting his weight from one leg to the other.

“Oh! Uh- I'm- Um-” Akio stammers, a deep blush forming in his cheeks, “I moved from California just last month.” He ends that sentence with an awkward smile that looks more like a grimace.

“Cool!” Kent answers, “Where in California?”

“Um- San Diego.”

Internally, Kent rolls his eyes. He thought that question would get Akio to talk a bit more, but apparently the guy is quiet as well as awkward. Maybe it won't be a problem if things progress during their date, but Kent's not sure if he could handle Akio stammering every time they speak if they start actually dating.

He asks Akio if he wants to walk around the park. When he agrees, stammering once again, Kent takes his hand and starts guiding him towards his favourite path. Spring is already showing its first signs, and Kent smiles softly as he sees all the tiny blossoms popping up in the bushes surrounding them. He stops for a second and crouches on the ground, despite Akio's confusion, when he sees a tiny orange butterfly hurriedly batting its wings to combat the morning breeze. The smile on his face widens and his eyes follow it as it flies away.

He stands up and continues walking. Out of the corner of his eye he can see the confused look on Akio's face. He hears him breathe in as if to say something, but he seems to stop himself. Kent doesn't know why Akio is being so awkward. With his own extroverted and outspoken personality, he's not sure if they'll be a case of “opposites attract” or if they're simply not compatible.

They're still walking and holding hands, but neither of them have said a word and their hands are getting a bit too clammy to ignore,courtesy of Akio's nerves, the poor guy. Kent doesn't want to seem like a complete asshole and pull away, so he's glad when Akio pulls his hand away first with the excuse of fixing his shirt collar and then doesn't slide it back into his.

They keep walking silently for a couple of minutes before reaching an area with a few benches decorated with flower drawings. They sit down a bit too far apart, and Kent still has no idea what to say to this man. He tries not to let himself be disappointed, the date isn't over yet, who knows how things could change? Yet he can feel inklings of sadness and anger creep into his brain. It looks like dates just aren't his thing. He's been on too many sucky dates for them to be always the other person's fault. Right? It's probably him who's the problem.

He heaves a deep sigh and leans back on the bench, crossing his ankles. He hears Akio take a deep breath in, and this time he does speak.

“Isn't hockey, like, very violent?”

Kent chuckles a little and turns his face to see him better. “Yeah, it sort of is. You get used to it pretty quickly, though.”

“Huh. I'm not sure I'd ever get used to it. Fighting isn't my thing.” He doesn't move his hands or his head while he talks, his body language is practically screaming 'uncomfortable'.

“What is your thing, then?” Kent asks.

Akio frowns in concentration, speaking after a few seconds, “I'm not too sure, actually.”

 _Wow_ , Kent thinks, _he doesn't even know what he likes to do. He's a strange guy_.

They're silent after that, because Kent has no idea how to reply. As far as he's concerned, everyone has something they're into. Who cares if their hobby is to collect paint swatches? If they're really interested in it, Kent's sure he wouldn't get bored of talking about it. His hobby is his job and he could talk about it for hours, so Akio's attitude puzzles him.

“Listen, I should get going,” Akio says while he gets up from the bench. Kent is about to offer to drive him before he remembers that Matt drove him to the park. “I'll call you, Kent, yeah? I'll get your number from Matt.”

He doesn't allow Kent to answer before he's turned his back to him and is walking away. Kent's “alright” is barely a whisper, drowned out by the rustling leaves and the singing birds.

Kent watches him walk away until he rounds a corner and the trees seem to have swallowed him. Only then does he allow himself to let out a deep sigh.

“Fuck,” he says, frustration clear in his voice.

Yeah, Akio and him were very different, but Kent still hoped they could make it work. With the way Akio left, he's not so hopeful anymore. He'll just have to add Akio to the list of failed dating attempts, which is becoming much longer than he would like to admit.

With disappointment weighing his limbs down, he calls Matt and asks to be taken home.

Okay, fifth time _wasn’t_ the charm. Kent can’t find it in him to be surprised.

 

-+1-

 

“Settle down, please!” Jessica, the Aces' general manager, shouts. “I have some news for you!”

The room slowly becomes quiet, people shuffling being the only sounds audible.

Jessica claps her hands once and straightens her back, “As all of you know, this team usually does charity events during the off-season. However-” she's cut off as groans resonate around the room, everyone knows where this is going. “However, this year we were offered an amazing opportunity to show the country how much you care about others.”

A quiet “You mean an amazing opportunity for the owner to make money,” comes from somewhere to Kent's left. Jessica glares in the direction of that voice, daring the person to speak up again. When nobody does, she proceeds to give everyone the details.

“You'll be attending Las Vegas Children's Hospital's costume party, next Friday at 7pm. Please don't be late. There will be a red carpet as you go in. Many celebrities will be there, so you guys will be attending as representation for the NHL. There will be an auction towards the end of the night, so I don't recommend you get too drunk.” She takes a deep breath. “Any questions?”

A hand shoots up from the middle of the room, “Yeah, can I go dressed as the invisible man? Nobody will see me!”

Jessica rolls her eyes and shifts her weight to one of her feet. “Shut up, Chris, it won't be that bad. I promise.”

Kent smiles. He has always loved dressing up, but he never really got to do so once he stopped going trick or treating. The only problem was, he had absolutely no idea what he was going to dress up as.

He decided he would figure it out eventually, so he stood up from his spot on the floor, grabbed his things and went home.

 

–

 

“Hey Matt!” Kent shouts at his teammate, who is quite far ahead of him in the parking lot. Matt stops walking and Kent starts jogging up to meet him.

It has been two days since Jessica's announcement, and he still has no idea what his costume will be. He hopes Matt will have an answer for that. He asks him so, but Matt's answer is rather disappointing.

“Joslin and I are buying some couple's costume that she saw,” Matt says as he runs a hand through his hair, damp from his shower after practice. “I don't even know what they are man, I can't really help you out.”

 _Damn_ , Kent thinks, _I'm fucked._

He thanks Matt and says goodbye to him, deciding not to worry about it. If worse comes to worst, he'll wear some of his hockey memorabilia and go as a superfan or something like that. That kind of costume never fails, right?

As soon as he gets home he opens his computer and starts looking up costume ideas, though it's not easy to buy outfits that will fit him without needing a few adjustments. He's a small guy but he's terrible at sewing, so most costumes won’t work for him.

It's after an hour of looking that he finds the perfect idea. Jeff will die when he sees him, he's sure of that.

 

–

 

He takes one last look at his face in his car's rear-view mirror to check that everything's in place before opening his door and confidently stepping out of his car, making his way to the red carpet.

A smirk grows on his face as he receives the reaction he had expected: Shocked gasps and rapid camera flashes directed at him.

He reaches the first stopping point and poses, crossing his arms in front of his chest. His silver bracelets reflect the camera flashes and frame the neckline of his armour. Those things paired with knee-high boots, light makeup, and the classic tiara, make him instantly recognizable. He makes an amazing Wonder Woman.

It hasn't even been a minute since he left his car, but reporters are already waving him down for interviews, even the ones that aren't for sports channels. He changes poses a few times, and the paparazzi can't seem to get enough of him. After a couple of minutes he drops his last pose, a fighting stance that he may or may not have practiced in the mirror, and heads for the first reporter.

The woman isn't wearing a costume, she's wearing a long magenta dress with an intricate neckline. Her only addition are the bunny ears adorning her bob cut. She's smiling at him, but it doesn't look forced. Kent wonders how long it took her to perfect that smile in her bathroom mirror.

“Hi! I'm Erica Bellmont, from E! News,” she says as she subtly rakes her eyes over Kent's body, losing her subtleness as she zeroes in on his thighs that are on full display. Kent smirks. He knows he looks good. After an awkwardly long pause, Erica tears her eyes away from Kent and keeps talking. “I don't believe we have met before, how about you introduce yourself?” She smiles and turns him towards the huge camera.

“Hi everyone,” he says, keeping his smirk and his relaxed tone just like he always does in interviews, “I'm Kent Parson, but most people call me Parse. I'm the captain of the Aces, the Las Vegas hockey team.”

Erica looks rather stunned. “Wow, Parse! I thought you were some unknown model or something!” She giggles and rests her hand around his bicep. “I gotta ask; of all costume choices out there, why Wonder Woman?”

“Well...” Kent allows himself a few seconds to think, “I didn't actually have many ideas, if I'm being honest. This is the only thing I could think of,” he chuckles.

“And you're certainly rocking it, Parse. Just one more question. Will we be seeing more of you in the entertainment business?” Erica looks hopeful, and Kent can't help but laugh a little.

He confidently shifts his weight to his other leg and puts his hands on his hips, “I'm up for that! Just find me something to do and I'll be there.” He flashes his signature smirk at Erica before saying goodbye and moving on to the next reporter, this time a ESPN one that he's met many times before.

His questions focus a bit more on his actual career than his future one, though he still gets the same question than before: Why Wonder Woman?

This time is different, though, because the reporter looks a bit disgusted with Kent. He's not in the mood to deal with hateful comments, so he just answers “Why not?” before leaving that reporter behind and heading straight for the venue's doors.

As soon as he steps through the doors, the atmosphere is completely different. The lights are dimmed, the floor is black and the walls are draped with dark grey fabric. That, and the background house music and the loud mix of conversations, make the room feel like it's vibrating.

He's immediately spotted by Jessica, who's wearing some weird silver bodysuit --she's probably dressed as some futuristic character from a movie, but Kent can't tell who. She looks him up and down, only quirking an eyebrow before directing him to a group of important people (read: CEOs with money) and forcing him to act interested in their conversation.

Kent makes use of his PR training and manages to convince all those boring old people with smiles and well-placed laughs, but he's not really listening. In between a woman wearing too many pearls and a man whose tie is set too tight, he catches the eye of a man in a Batman costume. Kent straightens his back and slightly lifts his chin to discreetly get a better look at him, though the dim lights don't let him see much. The guy winks at him and lifts the glass of whiskey he's holding in his direction, wordlessly inviting Kent to approach him.

With some bullshit excuse he manages to leave the boring conversation and start weaving his way through the crowd. Many more celebrities and plus-ones have arrived since Kent got there, so it's getting increasingly more difficult to find a specific person in the mass of people.

He gets to the spot where he'd seen the man, but he's nowhere to be found. Disappointment is starting to wash over him before he finds himself engulfed by the musky smell of cologne.

“Hey there, Mr. Wonder,” a deep voice says behind him, amusement clear in the words.

Kent looks over his shoulder with a smirk, sees the man he was looking for and turns his whole body to face him.

“Hey yourself, Mr. Bat,” he chuckles.

Kent takes a moment to appreciate the man standing in front of him. He's broad and fleshy, the black of his costume giving him a mysterious aura. He can't really see his face because of the Batman mask he's wearing, but the man's plump lips and hazel eyes make Kent yearn to see more. He stands with the utmost confidence, and Kent can't see why he wouldn't. This man is attractive and he knows it.

“Looks like our costumes match, huh.” The unnamed guy snaps his eyes from Kent's thighs up to his face, which makes Kent smirk. He's glad the man knows to appreciate great thighs when he sees them.

“Maybe we're wearing a couple's costume for a reason.” There's that voice again. It's not the deepest voice he's heard, yet there's a warmth to it that entrances Kent. Even over the background music it sounds perfect.

Kent only hums in response, looking up into the man's eyes once again. God, the things he'd do to see his face without the mask. Only after the man smirks does he realise that he's biting his lip. The house music slowly fades away as louder, more upbeat music starts playing. Kent's heart flutters when the guy takes his hand.

“Wanna dance?” he asks, already taking a step back, closer to the dance floor.

Kent allows himself to be directed to the floor, joining the dozens of people who have already gravitated to each other. They've reached a spot that the man seems to like when Kent realises he doesn't even know his name. He puts his mouth by the man's ear to be heard over the music, he notices that without the extra height his boots give him, he's quite a few inches shorter than the guy.

“Hey, I never got your name,” he practically screams over the deafening music.

“I'm Ezra!” the man screams back.

“I'm Kent, nice to meet you!”

Ezra then wraps his arms around Kent's armour-clad waist, and Kent nearly melts. He's engulfed by that scent that drives him crazy, paired with the warmth and softness only a big guy can provide. The costume's fabric is so thin that Kent can almost feel Ezra's skin when his hands grab at the man's back, and it's slowly driving him crazy.

They dance while holding each other for most of the night, though if you ask either of them, it wasn't enough time. They separate when they go in search of drinks, only to embrace again and keep dancing as soon as they've downed them.

Kent doesn't know how much time has passed once the dance floor starts to clear out, most people heading to the room where the auction is about to happen. He's not interested in the auction, even if it's for charity, so he drags Ezra down a hallway and past multiple servers until he sees an empty room.

Ezra closes the door, the music seeming to disappear behind it. The room is devoid of furniture and so, so silent that Kent can only focus on Ezra. Ezra and his eyes, Ezra and his lips, Ezra and how amazing he looks in that Batman costume that Kent's not sure if he wants him to keep it on forever or if he wants to tear it off him.

He takes a slow step towards the man, who's now facing Kent completely. He looks up at him, expecting that he'll get the hint. Ezra also takes a step towards him, gently lifting his chin with his finger. Kent leans in the rest of the way and softly kisses him.

The press of Ezra's lips against his own is maddening. The warmth, the breathlessness and the wandering hands only add to it. Kissing Ezra doesn't feel like a one night stand, it feels more like a promise. It feels like there's much more to come. And God, is Kent looking forward to all of it.

They slowly pull away; breaths heavy, faces flushed and mouths stretched into smiles.

Kent can't wait for what the future holds for them.

  


**Author's Note:**

> [come chat with me on tumblr!](%E2%80%9Dimmarcesibility.tumblr.com%E2%80%9D)


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